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A video tribute to Jarus Quinn, narrated by OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan, includes comments from Dr. Quinn's friends and colleagues and was prepared for the 2012 Frontiers in Optics Plenary Session.

Celebrating one hundred years of optics and photonics innovation.

OSA History.org is a dynamic archive devoted to the extraordinary people who have advanced the field of optics and photonics. Explore the site as it tracks the “Science of Light” from 1916, when the Optical Society of America (OSA) was established in Rochester, New York, to recent interviews with the field’s leading innovators.  

  • The Library provides video, audio, and written transcripts of interviews with leading scientists of our time and articles that recount the history of field, its pioneers, and the Optical Society.
  • The Photo Gallery is a searchable database of vintage and current images.
  • Exhibits features special collections such as Laser History timeline.
  • Resources provides links to other organizations’ archives and items of historical interest.

- Born March 11, 1920, in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Nicolaas Bloembergen spent his early years just outside of Utrecht. His grandfather, who held a doctorate in mathematical physics, and Bloemberge...

Interview with James Coleman, March 2013 - Interview with Tyndall Award Winner James Coleman. Conducted by Adrian Kinnane in Anaheim, CA, USA, March 2013.

Interview with David Payne, January 2006 - Interview with Tyndall Award Winner David Payne. Conducted by David Chaffee in Anaheim, CA, USA, January 2006.

- Dennis Gabor was born in Budapest, Hungary, on June 5, 1900. His lifelong love of physics started at age 15. He was especially influenced by Gabriel Lippmann's method of color photography. Gabor an...

Interview with Eric Van Stryland, February 2013 - Interview with Past President Eric Van Stryland . Conducted by Lee Sullivan in Washington, DC, USA, February 2013.

2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Optical Society. Leading up to this very special milestone, the Society has launched OSA History.org, an online repository showcasing the remarkable scientific achievements and people who have changed the world by advancing the science of light.

Our history is a work in progress; new content is continually added to the site, and we encourage you to share your stories, photos and content suggestions with us.


OSA Milestones